We would like to be part of stories that move you: Alia Bhatt

Alia Bhatt launched her production house Eternal Sunshine a year ago with her film ‘Darlings’. The actress has now joined hands with QC Productions to execute the upcoming multi-lingual series, ‘Poacher’. This show, which is inspired by a true story, is directed by Emmy Award winning director Richie Mehta. It features noted actors like Nimisha Sajayan, Roshan Mathews and Dibyendu Bhattacharya.

Alia reveals how she got attached to this project and says, “Richie and I met back in 2022, I was full blown pregnant, I was close to popping out. We spoke about everything under the sun, we spoke about parenting, cinema, art, and in that meeting he took me through the world of Poacher’. I was flabbergasted to know that it was based on true events. Then, we kept talking after that, he was gracious enough to share the first two episodes and then I watched the whole show; forget an executive producer, I responded to it as a person. I couldn’t stop watching it, it is worthy of a binge watch. I can tell you that once you start watching it, you won’t take your eyes off screen or take away yourself from characters. Nimisha is not here today, but she is outstanding, Roshan (Mathew) with whom I had the honour of working with (in ‘Darlings’) is unbelievable, and so is Dibyendu sir. Not just them, the whole cast really holds your attention on screen.”

Continuing further, she says, “Of course, Richie has told the story so beautifully. It just really moved me emotionally and physically towards that I asked him to tell me what I can do and how I can help? At Eternal, that is me and my partner and sister Shaheen and our Business Head Grishma, we are a tiny team of three. But we really believe that we would like to be part of stories that move you, impact you, stir some sort of conversation long after you see what you have seen. So, whether it is a conversation with yourself or with another person – like I remember sitting down with Richie and asking multiple questions. It was like I had a whole interrogation with you. Once you watch it, you want to know more. I would not want to say too much because I think it is just the beginning of the journey. I genuinely believe that your minds are going to be blown after watching it.”

For the first time in her career, Alia presented a trailer of a show, where she is actually not facing the camera. She admits to be still nervous about it and says, “This is a first for me that I am not in the trailer. There are still butterflies, elephants, tigers and monkeys. They are all around us and I think when you are creatively connected and want something to do really well. There is anticipation and there are nerves. But I must say it is a bit relaxing not to be in the trailer, still it is exciting. Because look at the trailer, I can’t wait for people to see more and see the show on 23rd February. Then we will talk more about it.”

Giving details on her association with the show’s team and Amazon Prime Video, where it will be launched, she says, “This is show is their vision and not mine and it is in front of us. I would say my feelings, emotions, excitement for the world to see it. Vision I would collectively be of the team. It is a moment for Amazon here just because they are such a fabulous platform they give that reach to a show like Poacher. From the very beginning the first we all went into a marketing call the feeling was let’s just go genuine just go real and the show will do talking it does not need marketing. We wanted the content to do the talking and it is happening.”

As the name suggests, the show has a cause and Alia says, “The show had a similar impact on me like it has on people of Kerala, since the story is based on that region. Everybody was aware of it though I was not aware about it. I watched the show and it left a deep impact on me. I’m not saying this because I’m sitting here on the stage but it really leaves an impact on you and makes you think about it. I was in tears and was smiling and I was entertained and I was scared and I am as thrilled and all the things out together. But supporting a story like this I think for us as an audience is very important and I want to thank Richie for bringing us this story and putting this together just the way you caught on to that one moment when it was sent to you while you were doing something else for Google. You said that this is something I am going to come back to and I am going to tell this story. I think there is a lot of genuineness in it, there is a lot of heart in it and it really comes across when you see the show.”

The actress confesses that it is hard to pinpoint any particular reason, which pushed her to back this project and states, “It is a long list of reasons, for starters, the performances which I spoke of little bit about but Nimisha, Roshan and Dibyendu sir are just fantastic, I mean, I am forever fan of all of them. What they brought to their character is amazing. It is about the overarching of the crime, which is going through the show and that takes you to all eight episodes. It also going deeper in their life which, is so enriching so interesting and so emotional there is beautiful moment that each of the characters have like one scene that Roshan has with his son, it is beautiful, one shot Nimisha has at the end I was really shaking and there is one scene Dibyendu sir has with his niece. My sister and I exchanged notes. Those are the scenes that really prompt us to do. What you saw at the end of the trailer each and every animal, every time I see the trailer I get goosebumps, every time you see the animals by the way purely visual effects. You are just enamoured by the perspective with which Richie has told this story.”